The Ultimate Apple Dumplings Recipe: A Comforting Delight for Your Family
Classic baked apple dumplings with tender cinnamon-spiced apples wrapped in flaky pastry and drenched in a sweet syrup. A comforting old-fashioned dessert that’s perfect served warm with vanilla ice cream.
- Prep Time: 45 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 mins (includes chilling)
- Yield: 6 dumplings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Pastry:
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 6–8 tbsp ice water
- For the Apples:
- 6 medium baking apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled and cored
- 6 tsp brown sugar
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 tbsp chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
- 3 tbsp raisins (optional)
- 2 tbsp butter, cut into 6 pieces
- For the Syrup:
- 1½ cups water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup butter
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- For Serving:
- Vanilla ice cream
- Caramel sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Make Pastry: Mix flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add water until dough forms. Divide into 6 pieces, wrap in plastic, and chill 30 minutes.
- Prepare Apples: Mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Fill each apple center with 1 tsp sugar mixture, nuts and raisins if using, and top with butter piece.
- Assemble: Roll each dough piece into 7-inch square. Place apple in center, bring corners up over apple, pinching edges to seal. Place in 9×13 baking dish.
- Make Syrup: In saucepan, combine water, sugars, butter, vanilla and cinnamon. Bring to boil, stirring until sugars dissolve. Pour over dumplings.
- Bake: At 375°F (190°C) for 45-55 minutes, basting occasionally, until apples are tender and pastry is golden.
- Serve: Spoon syrup over dumplings and serve warm with ice cream.
Notes
- For quicker prep, use refrigerated pie crusts instead of homemade pastry
- Add a splash of apple cider to the syrup for extra flavor
- Can prepare assembled (unbaked) dumplings and refrigerate overnight
- Leftovers reheat well in microwave (30 sec) or oven (10 min at 350°F)
- For adults, add 1 tbsp bourbon to the syrup mixture
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 dumpling with syrup
- Calories: 580
- Sugar: 52g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 17g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 82g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
